Diverted Pharmaceuticals
The abuse of diverted pharmaceuticals poses a significant and growing threat to Utah. The most commonly diverted pharmaceuticals in Utah are benzodiazepines, hydrocodones, oxycodones, and Ritalin. Diverted pharmaceuticals are widely abused throughout Utah. However, abuse of these drugs may be underreported due to their general social acceptance. The abuse of diverted pharmaceuticals does not appear to be limited to any particular ethnic, age, gender, or socioeconomic group in the state.
OxyContin Abuse
The diversion and abuse of OxyContin, a brand name for the narcotic painkiller oxycodone, have emerged as a significant and growing drug threat to many rural communities in Utah. Law enforcement agencies in Carbon, Emery, and Kane Counties report that OxyContin abuse has emerged as a growing problem in those counties. OxyContin is formulated to be taken orally and to have controlled-release effects; however, some abusers chew the tablets to destroy the controlled-release coating; others crush them and snort the powder or dissolve the powder in water and inject the solution. According to the Utah Department of Occupational and Professional Licensing, in 2001 there were six OxyContin overdose deaths statewide. OxyContin is acquired by abusers via prescription fraud or through street distributors, but some addicted abusers in other areas of the country have resorted to robbing pharmacies, often at gunpoint, to procure it.
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Forged and fraudulent prescriptions remain the most common diversion methods used throughout the state. Physicians and healthcare professionals directly divert prescription medications for themselves and for others by overprescribing or using other prescription scams. Pharmaceuticals are also frequently stolen from medical facilities, pharmacies, wholesalers, and warehouses, often by the employees of these establishments. According to the Iron/Garfield Counties Task Force, Ritalin (methylphenidate) is distributed by some of the parents of school age children who have a prescription for the drug. Diverted pharmaceuticals typically sell for $15 or less per tablet. Benzodiazepines (Xanax, Librium, Valium) sell for $2 to $5 per tablet, hydrocodones (Lorcet, Lortab, Vicodin) for $2 to $15 per tablet, and oxycodones (OxyContin, Percocet, Percodan, Tylox) for $2 to $15 per tablet.
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